Will Smith (right) takes care of his son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, in a scene from the movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. - Contributed

LOS ANGELES (Reuters):

Will Smith's new film is number one with weekend moviegoers, if not with English teachers.

His rags-to-riches tale, The Pursuit of Happyness, a rare foray into fact-based drama for the rapper-turned-comedian, sold about $27 million worth of tickets during its first three days of release across North America, distributor Columbia Pictures said yesterday.

Also new were the fantasy Eragon at number two with $23.4 million, and the children's adaptation Charlotte's Web at number three with a modest $12 million.

Last weekend's champion, Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, slid to number six with $7.7 million. The 10-day total for the violent saga stands at $27.9 million. Distributor Walt Disney Company said it was happy with the film's performance, even though its 49 per cent drop was easily the steepest in the top 10.

Romantic comedy

The romantic comedy, The Holiday, which also opened last weekend, fell three places to number five with $8.2 million, down 36 per cent. Columbia's Nancy Meyers-directed film, starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, has earned $25.3 million to date. Meyers' previous film, 2003's Something's Gotta Give, had earned $33 million at the same stage in its run.

The Pursuit of Happyness marks Columbia's 13th chart-topper this year, extending the record that it set at number 10. The Sony Corp. - owned studio has grossed a record $1.58 billion so far this year at the domestic box office, also setting a new record, the studio said. Columbia set the previous record of $1.57 billion in 2002, the year that it launched Spider-Man.

Smith's movie, which the studio said cost just over $50 million to make, is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a homeless entrepreneur and single father who eventually became a successful stockbroker. Smith's own son, Jaden, plays his on-screen son.

Columbia said it had hoped for an opening in the low $20 million range. The audience was mostly female and older, according to exit polling data provided by the studio.

Top 10 Box Office Hits

1 () The Pursuit of Happyness - $27.0 million

2 () Eragon - $23.4 million

3 () Charlotte's Web - $12.0 million

4 (2) Happy Feet - $ 8.5 million

5 (3) The Holiday - $8.2 million

6 (1) Apocalypto - $7.7 million

7 (5) Blood Diamond - $6.3 million

8 (4) Casino Royale - $5.7 million

9 (8) The Nativity Story - $4.7 million

10 (7) Unaccompanied Minors - $3.7 million